


A Kiss is just a Kiss

by gemgirl28



Series: As Time Goes By [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Bending (Avatar), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Because He Loves Her, Consent is Sexy, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Katara freaks out, NSFW, Nurse Katara, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Zuko is there for her, author has a love hate relationship with this piece, because theres some crack moments, dont ask questions I just write it, quite a bit, seriously kids talk about it first, supportive zuko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:22:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27228787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gemgirl28/pseuds/gemgirl28
Summary: Katara and Zuko are soul mates. That means they should be having sex, right?ORHow many ways can Katara freak out about sex before they finally do it?Companion piece to The World Will Always Welcome Lovers
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: As Time Goes By [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972411
Comments: 34
Kudos: 177





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright folks, I feel like I need to preface this work quite a bit, so buckle up for some intense author's notes.   
> First, this is a companion piece to The World Will Always Welcome Lovers. In theory it could stand alone, but it's a pretty specific AU, so if you haven't read that yet I recommend you do that first (plus its super fluffy and cute, if I do say so myself). I had the idea for their first time as I was writing chapter 3 of the world, but I knew I wanted to do it standalone so anyone who isn't comfortable with smut can still enjoy the fluff in that story.   
> Second, in a modern AU I truly believe this is the only setting in which an older Katara would be a virgin. I have no doubt that in another modern setting, Katara (who LITERALLLY fought the patriarchy) would have zero problems with having sex with who she wants, when she wants. This work came from my idea of Katara being a nurse and having a really thorough medical understanding of sex, but not having any experience, and playing around with the dynamics that stem from that. What I expected to be a short story turned into "how many ways can I have Katara freak out about sex before they finally do it?" and the answer is a lot. Again, there's some fairly specific world building happening here.   
> Finally, there will be smut in chapter three, so don't read this if you aren't over the age of 18 or are uncomfortable with eventual smut, awkward conversations about sex, slightly crack moments, or over the top cheesy romance (because that's all in here as well folks).   
> If you've made it this far, I hope you enjoy the story! I would love any comments or feedback!!!!

Katara has a pretty thorough understanding of sex, from a theoretical perspective.

After all, she’s a nurse who was the curve buster in all her classes. She’s considering getting her NP in a few years so she can specialize in women’s health, because she understands that proper sex education for women is the answer to many of the world’s problems. She’s helped her Gran Gran deliver more babies in their tiny village back home than she can keep count of.

But from a practical standpoint? Katara knows nothing about sex.

Well maybe not quite nothing. But Aang was so religious, and wanted to wait till both their soul marks came in, so all they ever did was kiss. She went on a handful of dates throughout college, but most of them stopped pursuing her once they saw her soul mark. The only reason she owns a vibrator is because Suki bought it for her after a drunken admission of curiosity, and even then she couldn’t look at it for two months without blushing. She has an IUD because she was tired of taking a pill every day to manage her period symptoms.

So by the time Zuko comes into her life, and they realized they are soul mates, Katara had given up on ever getting laid. But once he enters her life, she finds the idea of sex (and sex with _Zuko_ ) keeps drifting through her mind more often. And she finds she’s getting frustrated that he hasn’t had sex with her yet.

At first it didn’t really bother her. They met during a crazy transition time in Katara’s life, when she was getting ready to move into her own apartment and start her job at the hospital. They were so busy getting to know each other in between her hectic schedule that there simply wasn’t time for sex.

And then there’s the whole soul mark thing. They have an honest discussion during their first date about their experiences with their soul marks. Both have become a little…bitter? Wary? Unconvinced? about their soul marks by the time they’ve met, and they agree that it’s a little silly to jump into a relationship just because some spirits decided they were made for each other. So they decide to take it slow, getting to know each other before putting a label on their relationship.

But after a month and a half, they have to admit the spirits might have known what they were doing. Zuko is her opposite in many things, in a way that balances out her worst traits and highlights her best ones. Zuko officially asks her to be his girlfriend, and she spend the next two weeks in relationship bliss, still protected by their bubble of secrecy from their family but so, so happy to be with Zuko.

But then they spend a day at the lake and Katara spends the whole day fantasizing about the things she could do with a wet, shirtless Zuko. That night she orgasms twice thinking about him but she still wants more. She begins to feel frustrated they aren’t having sex.

It feels like a normal progression for her. Sure, they haven’t said “I love you” yet, or met each other’s families, but once she decided the spirits knew what they were doing, she really leaned into the whole soul mate thing. She’s heard of people getting married a week after finding their soul mate. Surely having sex with hers after several months of dating isn’t that farfetched?

But Katara doesn’t know how to seduce anyone, let alone Zuko. She decides to wait it out and see if he’ll make the first move. She reasons that he’s a guy, surely he wants this as well. She does her best to make sure she’s wearing cute underwear when she sees him, even going so far as to buy two new bra and panty sets.

But Zuko is a perfect gentleman and it’s perfectly pissing Katara off. He won’t do anything beyond kissing her, and he’s always careful to keep his hands from straying from her waist. He’s always the first to pull back when they start struggling to breathe. If Katara cared about her “virtue” she would think it was sweet. But she doesn’t give a damn about outdated notions about virginity, and she really, really wants to sleep with Zuko.

Finally, after three months of waiting to see if he’ll take the lead, Katara can’t take it anymore. So she invites him over for dinner and makes his favorite (Komodo chicken) and gets a bottle of her favorite wine (Cabernet Sauvignon). She wears her new favorite black lace underwear under a skin-tight navy dress and adds candles to the table. She spends half an hour deciding on background music before settling on an acoustic channel.

If Zuko is aware of her plans, he doesn’t acknowledge it beyond a raised eyebrow as he takes in her appearance and the candles on the table. They quickly settle into conversation though, him updating her on a project at work and her describing the card a kid made for her after taking care of his mom all week. It takes all of dinner, half of dessert, and the entire bottle of wine before Katara works up the nerve to ask Zuko about sex, but finally she can’t take it anymore and blurts out what’s been bothering her for months.

“Why aren’t you having sex with me?”

His reaction would be comical if she wasn’t so worried about getting answers. He drops his fork mid-bite and his face flushes a red color that almost matches the button up he’s wearing. He’s clearly flustered, and takes a gulp of his wine before wiping his mouth with his napkin in an attempt to cover his nerves. Finally, he asks, “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Katara sighs heavily, attempting to rethink her approach but instead word vomiting all over the conversation. “I mean, why haven’t we had sex yet? I was trying to let you take the lead but then I realized you might think I was taking the lead but I don’t really know what I’m doing here and then I sort of panicked and realized maybe you don’t want to have sex with me, but I really want to have sex with you and I just-”

“Katara,” he cuts her off, reaching across the table to place his hand over hers, “slow down a second. What’s going on here?”

She takes a deep breath, trying to order her thoughts into something rational, but when she opens her mouth what comes out is, “I’m a virgin so I have no idea what I’m doing but I know I want to do it with you.”

His face is so flushed now he definitely matches his shirt, but somehow he takes a deep breath and sounds calm and steady when he speaks. “I feel like there’s a lot to unpack here. How long have you felt like this?”

She finally lets her fingers intertwine with his before speaking. “I mean, I’ve been attracted to you since we’ve met, but I’ve only really been feeling frustrated with you know, the lack of it for the past couple of months or so.”

He nods slowly, his thumb tracing circles over her hand. “Ok, well you should know that I’ve been attracted to you since we met as well. Agni, I’m sorry I made you feel this way but I hope you never, ever for a second doubt that I find you attractive. You’re gorgeous.”

Katara feels herself blushing under his praise, but she presses on. “So, you do want to have sex with me?”

He laughs a little before replying. “Yes Katara, I want to have sex with you.”

Now her blush is as bad as his, but thanks to the wine she doesn’t care. “Ok, well that’s good. So, why haven’t you tried?”

He tilts his head thought for a moment before he responds. “I don’t want to pressure you into something you aren’t ready for. You’re right, I decided to let you take the lead on the progression of the, uh, physical components to our relationship,” he snorted, “I never thought you’d be quite so blunt about it though.”

“Sorry,” she mumbles out.

“Hey, it’s ok. This is good. I’m also super awkward about relationships and it’s been forever since I’ve been in one so I basically don’t know what I’m doing either.”

She doesn’t miss the omission in his statement. “But you have had sex before,” she says. It’s not a question, but he nods his confirmation anyways.

“Is… is that a problem?” he asks, and her heart breaks at how uncertain he sounds.

“No… I mean, I don’t think so. Did it… Did it mean something?” she asked, trying to work through her emotions as she replies.

Zuko looks down at his lap for a moment before meeting her eyes. “It did. Remember I told you about Mai, the girl I was dating when my mark came in? Well, she and I had known each other since we were little kids and had grown up together. Everyone always assumed we would end up together. And when my mark came in, she said she would ignore it for me. Since she knew about my family, I let her. But when her mark came in, we couldn’t ignore it anymore.”

“Oh,” Katara mumbled and pulled her hand from his to fiddle with it in her lap. She didn’t know much about his family yet, only that it was a touchy subject. She was surprised at how much his admission stung. She was suddenly jealous of this Mai, of the person who not only knew Zuko’s past but also had known him intimately. Katara tried to stamp down the jealousy, tried to reason that she and Zuko had only been together for five months and had only recently labeled it, but it still hurt. Part of her wondered if Zuko would have ever left Mai if she didn’t get a mark.

 _That_ was a dark, awful thought she immediately fought to repress. She knew that wasn’t fair to Zuko, or to Mai, and that it would leave her feeling nothing but hurt.

“Oh,” she repeated, still struggling to articulate her thoughts into something that would assure Zuko she still wanted him, but the words wouldn’t come.

He must have caught on to her inner conflict. “I’m sorry, Katara, I can’t change the past. But, soul marks or not, I want you to be my future.”

She nodded a little, finding herself feeling a little better. “I know, and I appreciate that. I know I can’t hold you to your past, but I think I need time to process it,” she sounded more confident with each word. She let her hand drift back to the table, and he immediately reached for it again.

“Take all the time you need. Like I said, I don’t want you to feel pressured to do something you aren’t ready for,” he said as he squeezed her hand in reassurance.

Katara gave him a small smile and stood to clear their dishes. He followed and immediately started helping her separate dishes to be done by hand and what can go in the dishwasher. They worked in silence for a few minutes, but as he started drying the dishes she hands him, he spoke up.

“Is it alright… I mean, can I ask…” he took a breath and faced her, “You said you’re a virgin?”

She flushes again and almost drops the pot she’s washing. Wincing, she faces towards him. “Yeah, is that a problem?” she echoes his question from earlier.

“No! I mean, no, it’s not a problem. I just… I can’t believe…”

“That I’m almost twenty-three and still a virgin?” she finishes for him. He nods, flushing as well. Katara sighs and hands him the pot.

“You remember me telling you about Aang, the guy I was dating when my mark came in? Well, he’s a pretty religious guy, and he didn’t want to do anything until we both had our marks. And then, you know, he didn’t get my mark. And I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but having a soul mark kind of scares off potential dates.”

Katara pauses her washing to point so Zuko can carefully return the pot to its cabinet before reaching for the next dish. “So when you said you don’t know what you’re doing…” he began again, trailing off into a question. Katara let out a huff of breath.

“I mean, in theory, I know a lot. After all, I am a nurse,” she scoffed. He snorted, and she let out another huff before continuing. “But in practice, I don’t exactly know… how to,” she coughed, trying not to choke on the words, “I don’t exactly know how to seduce someone.”

Zuko’s eyes drifted up and down her form, taking in her suddenly too-tight dress, and cocked his eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?” he asked, his voice suddenly lower and huskier, and a part of her recognized it was laced with lust. She knew she was blushing and did her best not to appear too flustered.

“I mean, I figured you know, candles, music, dressing up, but getting from here to the bedroom to actually having sex? Not a clue.”

His expression softened as he stepped forward to gently cup her face. He carefully kissed her forehead before pulling back. “I’m sorry. I tell you what, when you feel ready, let me know, and I’ll take the lead on the other stuff, ok?”

She nodded, and gave him a light but lingering kiss. “Thank you for being so understanding about all this. I know this wasn’t the most comfortable conversation to have.”

He smiled warmly and ran his fingers through her hair. “Sure, it’s a little awkward, but I’m glad you feel comfortable bringing it up with me. It’s good that we are getting on the same page about it all.”

Katara smiled and kissed him gently again, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

He left not long after, and while Katara did feel better for having had the conversation, she now was confused about his past.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A month later they had a fight and his entire tragic backstory came out. Katara cried with him, for him, and held him as he told her everything. In the end, they were better for it, having finally said “I love you” and deciding to meet each other’s families.

Katara took this as a sign and decided to wait until after Zuko met her family and she met Iroh to bring up sex again. But as soon as they were back in the car, after dinner with Iroh, she couldn’t wait any longer.

“So,” she began, fiddling with her purse in her lap, “I think that went pretty well, considering I didn’t know I was supposed to lie to your Uncle about how we met.”

He chuckled, pulling her hand to his lips. “It’s ok, he’ll get over it. I think he’s more thrilled to have met you than anything.”

She nodded, fidgeting in her seat. “So, I think, now that you’ve met my family, and I’ve met yours, I might be ready to revisit our sex conversation."

Even if she wasn’t a bloodbender, Katara was sure she would have been able to pick up on the change in Zuko’s heartbeat. It stopped for a moment before suddenly racing. He was silent for a few more moments, then cleared his throat. “So, how are you feeling about it now?”

She choose her words carefully. “I can’t be upset about things that happened before I met you, and I can understand why you might have accepted… comfort from Mai with everything going on with your family. I do want to be intimate with you. I just…” she took a deep breath, “I just don’t want to… disappoint you.”

It was a good thing they were already at a red light, otherwise Katara was certain Zuko would have stopped in the middle of the road. His head whipped around to look at her. “Katara, I say this with as much love as I possibly can, but why in the hell would you think I would ever be disappointed with you?!”

“Because I don’t know what I’m doing,” she managed to mumble out. He shook his head but luckily pressed the gas when the light changed.

“Katara, I have no doubt that being with you will be amazing. I love you, and I’m sure I’ll love being intimate with you. That’s not to say that it’ll be perfect the first time, or even the second, but it’ll be _you_ and that’s all I want.”

She felt a little better, a little bit of her worries floating away. Still, she couldn’t help but nitpick. “You won’t be sad if I’m not… good at it?”

He laughed openly then, and for a moment she started to feel angry. “No, Katara, and even then, I don’t feel like you’ve ever been bad at something in your life.”

He was right, of course. She worked hard to make sure she was always the best at what she did, whether it was taking care of her family, waterbending, or nursing.

“I guess you’re right,” she begrudgingly admitted, and he laughed again. This time she smiled back at him. By this point he had pulled into her apartment complex and he parked, shutting off the car to walk her up to her door. Katara paused on her doormat, fiddling with her keys, and turned to him.

“So, do you want to come in?” she squeaked out nervously. Zuko pushed a curl from her face and kissed her.

“Another time, love. I don’t want you to feel pressured for our first time to be this big, over-the-top moment, and I think having just met my Uncle would create that kind of pressure.”

She bit her lip and looked down at her feet. “I suppose that makes sense,” she offered, refusing to outright admit he was right twice in the same night. Zuko ran a finger under her chin and gently tilted her head up to meet his gaze.

“I seem to remember I promised once you were ready, I would take the lead on the other stuff, right?” She gave a slight nod of confirmation. “Well, now that I know you’re ready, I’ll plan something out. But just remember, I haven’t done this in years, so don’t expect any crazy performance from me, either,” he mumbled out.

The realization washed over her, and she suddenly felt stupid for feeling so insecure. “Zuko… Are you nervous about having sex with me?”

He bit his lip and looked down but gave a slight nod.

“Why?”

“Why?! Agni, Katara have you seen yourself? You’re incredible and gorgeous and I just want to make you feel good and I’m terrified I’ll fail,” he jumbled out all in one breath. She smiled a little, realizing Zuko was afraid for the same reasons she was.

“Zuko, I trust you. I mean, you do know what a clitoris is, right?”

“KATARA!” Zuko violently flushed red and pulled back.

“What?!”

His eyes scanned the hallway, making sure no one had overheard. “You can’t just say something like that so nonchalantly!”

She rolled her eyes but on the inside she was smirking. Seeing Zuko flustered made her feel better about her lack of sexual experience than she cared to admit.

“Sorry, just wanted to check. I mean, I don’t know much, but I do know from _firsthand_ experience that stimulus of the clitoris is the most critical-”

“Agni Katara yes! I know what a clit is!” he whisper shouts through gritted teeth, and she can’t help the laughter that bubbles out of her. Zuko glares at her as she doubles over, struggling to breath. When she finally stands up and wipes tears from her eyes, he is still glaring at her, but with less heat behind it.

“Do you feel better now?” he asks, and his tone is still harsh but his jaw has unclenched. She smiles and reaches up to gently cup the left side of his face. Though she remembers he can’t feel much of it, she gently traces circles over his cheek.

“Actually, I do, thank you. I think I’ve spent so much time building this up in my head, I needed to laugh about it all.”

He rolls his eyes but his expression softens further. “Well, I’m not thrilled that you were laughing at me, but I’m glad you feel better,” he leaned down to kiss her gently. “Besides, it’s not like anyone’s first time is porn worthy.” He kissed her again, quickly, and before she could really process what he said, was wishing her a good night. Katara mumbled her reply and let herself into her apartment, Zuko’s words echoing through her mind.

_Porn worthy._

Katara’s logical side understands and appreciates that Zuko spent most of their conversation reminding her that she shouldn’t have an expectation for their first time, that she shouldn’t feel bad or worry about her lack of experience. But her logical side does not win out tonight, and that’s how Katara ends up binge-watching porn until three in the morning.

It started innocent enough, with her naïve search for “porn”. She at least had the wherewithal to open an incognito browser. But each video she finds has something new or different to offer, and she can’t help but wonder if these are the kinds of things Zuko is into. When she discovers a tag called “benders” and finds out firebenders can use their heat in ways she never imagined, she starts freaking out.

She’s fully worked herself into a panic attack and doesn’t even realize she’s called Zuko until he answers.

“’Tara?” he asks. His voice is muffled and raspy with sleep, and she immediately feels bad for waking him up, but there’s no going back now.

“I’ve made a terrible mistake,” she says, her voice cracking as she teeters on the verge of hysteria.

“Was wrong?” he slurs a little, but she can hear his sheets rustle as he shifts to sit up.

She attempts to take a deep breath to steady herself but it doesn’t work. “I’ve been watching porn since you left and I’m freaking out because I know I can’t do some of this stuff, I really can’t, and then I found that some people integrate their bending into sex, and the thought equally intrigues and terrifies me, and Spirits Zuko I just don’t think I can bend like that, but I want to make you feel good too, and I realized I have no idea what you’re into, and now I’m realizing I have no idea what I’m into, and basically I’ve worked myself into a panic attack, and now I feel awful for waking you up when I know you’ll be up in a few hours to get ready for work and Zuko I’m so sorry,” and she’s gasping for air after saying everything in one breath. For a moment she thinks he’s fallen back asleep, but then he speaks up.

“Kat, did you call me because you’re worried about my…kinks?” he asked, and she knew he was trying to be gentle but could hear the amusement lacing through his tone. She frowned, knowing he couldn’t see her through the phone.

“I mean, when you put it that way I sound really stupid,” she grumbles back, and she _swears_ she hears him stifling a laugh.

“Katara, my love, my moon, stupid is the last word anyone could use to describe you.” Katara is certain he’s using flattery to try and calm her down and damnit it might be working. “Of everything you watched, what has you the most worried?”

Katara closed her eyes and images flashed in her mind. She was certain some things would be burned into her mind forever. “I’m really scared about integrating bending into sex. Like, it looks like it could be… exciting but also like it could get out of hand really easily,” she breathed out.

It sounded like Zuko was stifling another laugh as he replied. “Let me just make sure I’m understanding you correctly. We haven’t even had sex yet, and your worried about adding in bending, something that most people don’t do until they’ve been together for years?”

“Uhm, yes?”

This time he did laugh, and Katara scowled through the phone. “I’m sorry,” he began when he finally calmed down, “you have every right to be concerned about adding bending into the bedroom but I promise it’s not something I would have brought up for a very, very long time. But right now we both need to get some sleep. Do you work tomorrow?”

“No,” she mumbled out.

“Ok, why don’t you come by my office at lunch and we can talk about this further. I’ll order Bento. Is that ok?”

She nodded, but then remembered he couldn’t see her. “Yes.”

“Ok, text me when you wake up. Get some rest. Love you.”

“Love you too,” she murmured and hung up. She felt a little silly for having woke him up, but was still able to fall asleep, weariness finally overtaking her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara and Zuko talk about her binge watching and go on a date.

Katara woke up feeling nothing but shame. She laid in bed for a few minutes, bringing her hands up to cover her face, and let the feeling roll through her like the tides. Finally, she knew she couldn’t wait any longer and rolled over to text Zuko.

Despite what he said last night, he had already texted her. Katara’s heart was racing when she saw the notification, but began to slow once she read his message.

**_Zuko:_ ** _Good morning love. I don’t have any meetings this afternoon, so I was thinking I could take a half day so we could talk. Text me when you’re up and we can coordinate._

**_Katara:_ ** _You shouldn’t leave work early because I’m freaking out over sex._

Katara dragged herself to the bathroom for a quick shower and to brush her teeth. By the time she was dressed, Zuko had responded.

**_Zuko:_ ** _I don’t mind. I want to make sure you’re ok._

_Besides, weren’t you just bonding with my Uncle last night because you think I work too much?_

**_Katara:_ ** _I mean, you do work too much. But are you sure? Because now that I’ve slept on it I feel pretty stupid for freaking out._

**_Zuko:_ ** _It’s Friday. I’m the CEO. I can take an afternoon off to make sure my girlfriend is ok._

_You’re feeling this way for a reason and I want to do everything I can to help._

Katara’s heart swelled with adoration for him. Instead of making her feel silly, he was going out of his way to make sure she was good.

**_Katara:_ ** _As long as you promise it’s ok, then I won’t say no to spending more time with you._

**_Zuko:_ ** _Good. Meet at my place at 1?_

**_Katara:_ ** _Yes. See you soon._

By the time Katara made it to Zuko’s, he had picked up lunch and changed into a t shirt and shorts. She muttered out a thanks and quietly ate her sushi rolls. Zuko seemed content to let her eat in silence, eating his own rolls and only reaching across to squeeze her hand once.

When she finished, Katara took their takeout containers to the trash and began wiping down the table. Zuko watched her, leaning against the counter, letting his head rest in his hand. When Katara ran out of things to use to avoid the conversation, she finally looked over at Zuko, who was studying her with an unreadable expression. He cleared his throat and held out his hand.

“Do you want to sit in the living room and talk?”

Katara let herself nod and take his hand. He gently pulled her into the living room, letting her settle onto the couch before sitting next to her, close, but not as close as he normally would.

“So,” he started, but didn’t seem to have anywhere to go beyond that. Katara let out a heavy sigh.

“Look, I’m really sorry for waking you up at three in the morning to panic about our sex life. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”

He squeezed her hand. “It’s ok. I mean, it’s a little awkward, but I want to know what you’re feeling. I _need_ to know what you’re feeling, so I can do everything I can to help you.”

Katara reached up and cradled the scarred side of his face. “Well if that’s the case, then I’m feeling overwhelmed about everything I watched last night. I’m feeling scared of letting you down. But,” she made sure to hold his stare, “I feel like I still want to try. I want to be… intimate with you.”

Zuko studied her for a moment, his eyes flicking between hers. “Ok. Do you want to talk about what you watched last night?”

She let her hand fall to her lap, but gave a small nod. So they talked about porn.

They spend the first half hour deciding on the terminology to use, because Zuko claims he won’t be able to have an honest conversation with her using medical terms, but she refuses to use cutesy names for actual body parts. He’s already bright red by the time they agree on what to call things.

She then described the things she saw, and Zuko asked her how they made her feel. She could tell it was hard for Zuko to talk about, but he still managed to add his opinion or preferences when Katara asked. His blush continued to deepen, clearly uncomfortable with the whole conversation, but he pushed on. As they talked, Katara felt a tension release from her shoulders she didn’t realize she’d been holding. With every awkward pause, every flustered response, Katara fell more in love with Zuko. After talking for a couple of hours, Zuko’s face redder than she’d ever seen it, she ran out of videos to describe.

“I’m sorry I’m being a bit neurotic about this. I can’t begin to thank you for being so patient with me,” she offered, trying to ease some of the lingering awkwardness. Zuko smiled and squeezed her hand.

“I’m actually glad we’re talking about this so much. The only times I… with Mai… she definitely used it as a distraction for me. It probably wasn’t all that healthy. We certainly never talked about it like this. So in a way, this has been good for me as well, giving me a chance to work through my own… insecurities about all this.”

“Oh,” she whispers. She had been so caught up in her own anxiety, she didn’t stop to think about what Zuko would be feeling.

“And before you ask,” he pulled her from her thoughts, “yes, even after a thorough discussion of every imaginable kink on the internet, I still want to have sex with you Katara.”

She looked up, watching as his eyes darkened. She felt her breath hitch, and bit her lip. “Yeah?”

He chuckled, but it was darker, lower than usual. “Yes, Katara, whenever you’ll let me, I’d love to.”

She rolled her eyes, attempting to deflect her rising lust. “I’m sure you, a red-blooded male, would love that.”

He sensed the shift in her tone and immediately backed off. “We can still wait, you know. Whatever you’re comfortable with. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

She smiled at him and kissed him. He was right, there was no reason to rush when they knew they wanted to be together. She pulled back and suggested they catch up on their favorite show. They spent the rest of the afternoon and evening snuggled up together on the couch. With Zuko’s arm around her and her head on his shoulder, she never felt more at home. Time seemed to stretch out before her, and his words echoed around her mind.

_We’ve got all the time in the world._

_\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Turns out, they did not have all the time in the world.

No one did, really.

A week after their talk, Katara lost a patient that had been in a car accident. He had lost too much blood, and by the time they got the blood transfusion, it was too late. He was only twenty-three.

Katara watched, off to the side, as the doctor told the patients fiancé ( _soul mate_ from the matching marks on their wrists). The doctor had to catch the fiancé from falling over as she broke down crying. Katara’s heart shattered for her.

Katara texted Zuko, inviting him over on the way home.

**_Zuko:_ ** _Are you sure? I know you worked today, I don’t want to keep you from getting rest._

**_Katara:_ ** _We lost a patient and it’s hitting me pretty hard. I don’t want to be alone._

His response was immediate, and she fell a little more for him knowing he would never hesitate to be there for her.

**_Zuko:_ ** _I’ll be over in 30 minutes._

Katara took a quick shower and dressed in the one set of nice pajamas she had (a silky blue button up and matching shorts). The moment Zuko stepped inside her apartment, her lips were on his. She felt desperate, need coursing through her veins as she started running her hands up and down Zuko’s chest. When she lingered just a moment too long at his waistband, Zuko pulled back and cupped her face with a tender but firm grasp.

“Not that this isn’t my favorite way you’ve ever greeted me, but what’s going on? I thought you said you lost a patient today?”

The pure concern and love in Zuko’s eyes broke Katara, and against her will tears burst from the dam. Zuko carefully led her to the couch, pulling her onto his lap. He ran his hand up and down her back, making soothing sounds. “It’s alright, I’m here, you can tell me when you’re ready, shhhh, I’ve got you,” he whispered over and over as Katara clung to him.

Finally, when she cried herself out, she pulled herself up enough to reach over and grab a tissue. Zuko never stopped watching her, waiting for her to speak when she was ready.

“I know you said we’ve got all the time in the world, but he was only twenty-three,” she whispered, not able to meet his eyes. She didn’t miss his sharp intake of breath as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

“Katara,” he breathed, “Katara.” He seemed to be grasping and failing to find the right words.

“I know I can’t live like something bad is waiting for me around every corner,” she was figuring out the words for her emotions as they were coming out, “but I also don’t want to live with any regrets. And if something happened to me, or to you-” she choked back another wave of tears, “I think I’d regret not taking the chance to show you how much you mean to me.”

He gently tilted her chin until she met his eyes. His other hand came up and swiped a stray tear from her cheek. “Are you sure?”

And if she wasn’t sure before, she was now. His careful touches, how he constantly checked in on her emotional state, how he never judged her, the tender way he held her when she cried, they all reassured Katara that if anyone would take care of her for her first time, it would be Zuko.

“Positive,” she affirmed, sounding confident despite all the crying she’d been doing. Zuko studied her for another minute but she held his gaze, and he finally nodded.

“Ok. But not tonight,” she started to protest, but he cut her off, “for one, I’m sure after the day you’ve had you are exhausted. For another, your first time should be a little special. Let me woo you,” he said.

“It will be special, because it’s you,” she tried to argue, but he shook his head.

“I’ve sort of, uh, got a plan. Please? Let me pull out the stops for you?”

Katara wanted to protest again, but at that moment a yawn overtook her. A small smirk worked its way onto his lips.

“Fine I’ll wait,” she pouted, “but will you stay the night still?”

He chuckled, scooping her up in his arms to carry her to the bedroom. She let out a squeal but clung to him until he carefully laid her down on the bed.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered as he settled beside her, pulling her flush to his chest.

She let herself relax in his arms, finally succumbing to her weariness. The last thing she heard, he was murmuring in her ear.

“I love you, Katara.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Zuko left shortly after they finished breakfast, claiming he needed to get his plan ready.

“I appreciate that you are trying to make this romantic,” she told him as she kissed him goodbye, “just try to keep the cliché factor to a level seven or lower, ok?”

He had laughed and kissed her again. “I’ll do my best.”

Katara did her best to not think about his plan. She tried to distract herself by cleaning up her apartment. Unfortunately, laundry and vacuuming only went so far for distractions, and she found herself texting Zuko for details.

**_Katara:_ ** _Any chance you’ll tell me what all this plan of yours involves?_

**_Zuko:_ ** _Nope. I can’t exactly surprise you if you know what’s coming, now can I?_

**_Katara:_ ** _UGH. Fine._

Another load of laundry and a deep cleaning of her kitchen later, another question popped into her mind.

**_Katara:_ ** _Can you at least give me a hint so I know what to wear?_

**_Zuko:_ ** _Remember what you wore the first time we talked about sex? When you cooked me dinner at your apartment? You should wear that. Not gonna lie, it was pretty hot._

A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the skin-tight dress and everything that was underneath. Zuko hadn’t even seen her lingerie yet.

**_Katara:_ ** _Ok, that helps._

**_Zuko:_ ** _I can pick you up at 5:30, if that’s ok._

Katara looked up at the time in the corner of her phone screen. _11:54am._ Still more than enough time to finish cleaning her apartment, have a panic attack, and get ready.

**_Katara:_ ** _Sounds good._

As Katara began to fold and put away her clothes, another concern popped into her mind, something she wasn’t sure if she should ask about. Should she pack an overnight bag? Last night wasn’t the first time he’d slept over, and she’d stayed at his place before, but never like this. Was it wrong for her to assume he’d want her to spend the night after their first time? Surely he wouldn’t kick her out. Surely he’d want to do it again. Right?!

Her spiraling was interrupted by a text from Zuko. As if he had read her mind, he sent her more information about the plan.

**_Zuko:_ ** _You should pack an overnight bag, and something to wear to brunch tomorrow. For tonight, make sure your shoes are comfortable enough to walk in._

**_Katara:_ ** _Ok._

By the time Katara had her overnight bag packed, she decided it was time to get herself ready. She showered, taking extra care and time to shave her legs, and used her bending to dry off. She was careful to moisturize all over, suddenly finding herself self-conscious of every flaw on her body. She pulled on a robe while she did her makeup, and spent more time than she should have deciding on what to do with her makeup. It wasn’t something she wore often, and she certainly didn’t want it sweating off during… you know. She blushed as an image of her foundation dripping onto Zuko popped into her mind. She finally decided to focus on her eyes, dusting them with a light shadow, carefully lining them, and finishing with a swipe of mascara. She used two primers and a setting spray in the hopes of keeping her minimal foundation in place and chose a dark red lipstick.

She spent less time worrying about her hair, already having decided that keeping it down would be easiest, though she was careful to pack a hair tie for brunch. She decided on a pair of stud earrings and opted to forgo other jewelry, again packing some for the next day. Finally, she dressed in her lingerie and stood in front of the mirror, mentally running through her least favorite parts of herself. She turned this way and that, trying to imagine what Zuko would think of her like this.

Another shiver ran down her spine as an idea popped into her head. She bit her lip, mulling it over, before deciding to roll with it. After all, she was always one to face her insecurities head on. Opening her phone’s camera, she posed in front of the mirror, careful not to include her face, and snapped a picture. Before she could think too hard about it, she sent it to Zuko.

**_Katara:_ ** _I think I’m ready for our date, don’t you?_

His response was immediate.

**_Zuko:_ ** _Damn how did I get so lucky?_

_You’re so sexy._

**_Katara:_ ** _I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one._

**_Zuko:_ ** _Nope, it’s me. I’ll be there soon._

Pleased with his reaction, Katara pulled on her dress and slipped on her favorite pair of heels. She ran her fingers through her hair to fluff it and double checked her makeup when she heard a knock. Her heart started pounding but she forced herself to take a deep breath, grab her bag, and head to the door.

Zuko’s eyes widened as soon as he saw her. She felt herself blushing as his eyes raked up and down her form, a smirk toying at his lips.

“Yep, I’m definitely the lucky one,” he said, his smirk growing but his eyes were soft. The blush spread further under his compliment, but she took the moment to study him as well. He was wearing a navy suit with a white button up. His shaggy hair was pulled up into a neat top knot, and she couldn’t wait to let it down, to run her fingers through his silken strands. After a moment too long, he coughed, and she busied herself with putting on her long peacoat. He took her bag and led her to his car.

She let him help her into the car, a necessity in her tight dress, and waited till they were on the highway to speak up. “So what happened to ‘not feeling pressured for our first time to be this big, over-the-top moment’?” she tried to tease, but she was certain the concern was obvious in her tone.

“I know, I know, but then you called me at three in the morning freaking out, and I realized this is a big milestone for us, so I decided to lean into it,” he explained.

“Oh. Right,” she cleared her throat. He had a point.

“ _But_ I’m just going all out for seducing you. Remember, it’s been years since I’ve, uh, you know. Don’t get your hopes up for my performance.”

She let herself giggle a little. It was amusing to her that they could have in-depth discussions about their feelings on various sexual positions, but he couldn’t actually call it _sex._

He blushed a little but still reached over to take her hand.

“So where are we going anyway?” she asked.

He smirked at her in the mirror. “So impatient.”

“I’m usually the surpriser, not the surprisee,” she grumbled, and he laughed.

“We’re almost there.”

She looked out the window and realized they were near the University’s park. Zuko found an empty visitors spot and parked, coming around to help her out of the car. He led her to the path and she let her hand find his, fingers intertwining.

She let herself enjoy their walk for a few moments. The air was crisp, but not too cold for mid-November. The sun was already well in its descent, and lights strung between the trees were slowly turning on. When she realized where Zuko was guiding her, she smiled.

“Do you know what they say about this park?” Zuko began as they neared the gazebo in the middle of the park.

“Yes, do you?”

He nodded, pausing when they reached the middle of the gazebo. “Do you believe it?”

“That because we’ve walked here, hand in hand, we’re going to be together forever? Don’t these-” she pulled their wrists together, pushing up their sleeves to reveal their marks, “already prove that?”

He blushed a little, but smiled. “Sure, according to the spirits. But I think coming here, us choosing to come here, it makes it our choice. Like we get to control our destiny a little bit.”

“I seem to recall not knowing we were coming here till we got out of the car,” she teased. He shot her a small glare.

“You still came with me,” he almost growled out and she smiled.

“Yeah, I did,” she whispered. She leaned up to kiss the frown off his lips. “I know what you mean though. Yeah, the spirits may have decided we should be together, but I like that we aren’t blindly following them. This is our choice…” she trailed off, trailing a hand up to his scarred cheek. “Like tonight, we’re choosing to take the next step because _we_ think it’s the right time.”

“Exactly,” he breathed, leaning in to kiss her again, and she smiled against his lips.

When she reached to free his hair from his top knot, he pulled back, laughing a little. “Patience, love, we still have to get to dinner. Aren’t you hungry?”

“No,” she tried to protest, but at that moment her traitorous stomach growled. Zuko laughed a little louder, and she wanted to be mad, but she still couldn’t get over how much she loved the sound of his laughter.

“C’mon, we should drop off your bag before dinner anyways,” he said, guiding her back to the car.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara and Zuko finish their date (featuring over the top cheesy romantic Zuko) and finally, they have sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is smut in this chapter!!!!! If you are under 18 or aren't comfortable with it, please don't read it!!!!
> 
> Side note, I need to give credit where credit is due. If Zuko's dialogue during the smut feels familiar, then it means you have excellent taste and have read Purr by @sparrowkeet1 on here. Excuse me while I fangirl for a moment, but when I say that work is inspiring I mean it. Its an incredible piece that I could (and have) read again and again. If you haven't read it yet, and you are over 18, I can't recommend it enough. If you have read it, I didn't put in the same dynamic and it's really just that moment of losing control that I love. I hope that comes across.
> 
> Finally, this is only the second time I wrote smut and the first one I'm publishing so please any feedback is so appreciated!!!!

Deciding it would be easier to let him surprise her, Katara didn’t ask where they were going, instead enjoying the comfortable silence save for the radio as he headed downtown. She was surprised when he pulled up to a hotel and parked by the valet stand. He passed her bag to a bellman, whispering instructions that she thought included a room number, before offering his arm. Katara barely had time to register the luxurious details of the lobby, the crystal chandelier, the marble floors, before Zuko whisked her into an elevator. She quirked an eyebrow at him when he pushed the button for the top floor, but still didn’t say anything.

The doors opened to an equally ritzy looking restaurant. Zuko stepped up to the host stand to check in, and Katara had to stamp down a glimmer of jealousy as the hostess’s eyes raked over his features. She stepped a little closer to him and let her head drop on his shoulder, internally pleased when the hostess’s face fell a little.

“Your table isn’t quite ready yet, would you prefer to wait at the bar?” she asked, plastering on a smile.

If Zuko caught the little interaction, he didn’t say anything, just nodded. Katara let herself smirk a little as they headed to the bar. She unbuttoned her coat but decided to wait till they got their table to take it off.

The bartender came over quickly, setting cocktail napkins in front of them. “Good evening, what can I get for you tonight?”

Zuko ordered an Old Fashioned and Katara ordered a glass of Cab Sav, letting herself order a bottle that was a hair nicer than she usually went for. She had just ordered a refill when a host came over to bring them to their table.

They chatted easily over dinner, their conversation drifting from the entrees they ordered to their favorite foods to their plans for the upcoming holidays. But as they were waiting for their dessert, Katara felt a shift in the mood, and looked up to see Zuko studying her, his normally honey eyes now amber gold.

“I am very excited about, ahem, about tonight,” he said, reaching across the table to take her hand. She felt her pulse pick up a little and smiled at him.

“Me too,” she whispered, squeezing his hand a little.

“I feel like I have a good understanding of what you don’t want, from all our talks. But I don’t have a good grasp of what you do want,” he gently offered, his eyes somehow still full of lust.

“I don’t really know either,” she whispered, “but I know I want to do it with you. And I trust you to take care of me.”

He smiled, pulling her hand to his lips. At that moment, their dessert arrived. Katara felt herself feeling shy, but excited at the glances Zuko kept shooting her way as they ate. When they finished and he had paid, she expected him to lead her back to the elevator, but instead he helped her put her coat back on and led her to the restaurants balcony. She shivered, only partially from the cold air, as he wrapped his arms around her, shifting them so they faced towards the city.

“Now if I’ve timed this properly,” he whispered in her ear, “then we should have a show in 3, 2, 1..” he trailed off as fireworks shot off over the skyline. Katara gasped at the sight, eyes wide as she ooh’d and aah’d at the display.

“Did you really plan fireworks for our first time?” she asked over her shoulder in between blasts. She felt more than heard his chuckle rumble against her back.

“No, it’s for the holidays, it just happened to work in my favor,” he replied after what she guessed was the end of the show.

“It was beautiful. I didn’t realize they did that.” She followed him back through the restaurant and onto the elevator. He pressed a button for a floor down and carefully pushed a curl back from her face.

Stepping off the elevator, Katara followed Zuko to a room at the end of the hallway. By this point she had figured out they would be spending the night at the hotel, but she was still surprised when Zuko pulled out a room key and opened the door. She gasped at what she saw inside.

The room was decorated like something out of a romcom. Candles lined the surfaces of all the furniture and rose petals trailed from the doorway to the bed. Katara barely registered the size of the room ( _did he really splurge on a suite just for them to have sex?!_ ) as she took in the careful arrangement of the décor. She knew her mouth was open but couldn’t care to close it, completely overwhelmed by all the thought and effort Zuko was putting into this.

“I uh, I know you said to keep the cliché factor relatively low, but I couldn’t help it. It felt wrong not to have candles and flowers for your first time,” he offered, suddenly looking nervous.

“It’s perfect,” she breathed back, and he smiled, lifting his hands to help her out of her coat. She felt tension building in the air as he let his fingers linger on her arms.

“I never thought…” he began after hanging up her coat, “I never thought I could be so happy. You’ve turned my life upside down in the best possible ways,” he finished, a slight flush of embarrassment coloring his features. She smiled, stepping up to close the distance between them.

“I feel the same way,” she said, reaching up to _finally_ undo his hair and letting her fingers run through his silky strands. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch, and let out a little sigh of contentment. She smiled and let her hand trace his scar, and his eyes flew open. She suddenly felt nervous again at the lust creeping into his eyes.

As much as she tried to keep the nerves from showing, Zuko still caught it. His expression immediately softened. “Hey,” he said, gently cupping her face, “we don’t have to do this. I’m sorry if I went too far, it’s too over the top, I’m sure, I’m sorry-”

She interrupts his ramblings with a kiss, gentle but lingering. “I want this,” she whispers when she pulls back, “I want you,” and then she kisses him again.

He is quick to respond, apparently assured by her statement, and deepens the kiss. The hand cupping her face moves to the back of her head, twining her hair around his fingers, and the other makes it way to her waist, pulling her close. She sighs into his mouth, and she feels his lips twitch into a smile before he pulls away to begin trailing kisses down her jaw and onto her neck. When his kisses turn to nips, she feels a heat beginning to pool in her center, and she lets out a quiet moan.

Apparently this further encourages Zuko because he begins to walk them towards the bed, still nipping down her neck to the hollow of her throat. She moans again, running her hands down his chest to unbutton his suit jacket before pushing it off his shoulders. His hands leave her just long enough to finish removing his jacket before they are all over her, fingers lightly tracing, teasing along her waist, her stomach, _almost_ brushing her breasts but on the third pass where he skims over again, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

She pulls back and reaches behind herself, unzipping her dress as Zuko watches her. It’s worth it for his look alone, the way he is staring at her with so much care but even more _desire_ etched into his features, like he wants to consume her but lovingly. And Katara’s going to let him. She loves the way his breath hitches when she pushes her dress off her shoulders and lets it pool at her feet, carefully stepping out of her shoes and the dress and towards him. He reaches for her, tracing his hands over the exposed skin of her waist, and Katara is certain this is what it must feel like to be a firebender, the way the heat in her center spreads and burns, leaving a trail of heat everywhere Zuko touches her.

“So beautiful,” he whispers, his voice low and raspy with need, “It’s even prettier in person. Agni you’re perfect,” and then he’s kissing her again but this time he finally cups her breast over her bra and she can’t help the groan that he swallows up.

Katara decides it’s time to level the playing field so her fingers work their way to his shirt, undoing the buttons one by one. Her fingers are trembling, and she’s worried if he notices he’ll think its nerves, but really something has shifted in her and the mere anticipation of what they are doing has her shaking. Fortunately, Zuko seems a bit preoccupied with working her over, and she manages to get his shirt off and take a breath to steady her hands. Zuko quickly pulls his undershirt off, barely letting go of her before pulling her onto the bed beside him.

Maybe it should scare her, how easy it is to give in to Zuko’s touch. Maybe she should be worried, about what they are doing or what Zuko’s planning or where he’s going to touch her next. Later she might overthink the entire thing, replaying it and over analyzing each of her actions and Zuko’s reactions in her mind. But when he moans into her mouth and pulls her hips flush to his, she can’t find it in her to think about anything but this moment.

She’s loving the way Zuko is exploring every inch of her body, so she does the same to him. She’s playing out every fantasy she’s ever had of tracing the taut muscles of his arms, his back, every dip of his abs, down to the vee of his hips. When her fingers trace the line of his waistband, he pulls back with a groan. “Fuck, Kat,” and then he’s rolling her onto her back and suddenly is between her legs.

She props herself up on her elbows so she can watch as he drops his mouth to her breasts, kissing over the lacy edges. He meets her eye and she’s certain she can’t breathe anymore, the way his eyes have darkened and blown out with desire stealing the air from her lungs. When his hands move to her back she arches off the bed, ignoring the strain of awkwardly holding herself up so he can unclasp her bra. Thankfully, he doesn’t struggle much and is quickly tossing her bra off the bed. He sits back on his heels and lets his eyes roam over her, and Katara is acutely aware that she is wearing nothing but lacy underwear, and she starts to raise an arm to cover herself, but he gently stops her.

“Please,” he whispers, and she finds she _loves_ the way his voice sounds all wrecked and needy, “I want to see you.”

And she can’t exactly say no to him, not like this, so she lets him lace his fingers with hers beside her. She’s certain she’s flushed from head to toe under his appraising eye, and she squirms a little but stays still.

“I love you,” he whispers, leaning in to kiss her softly.

“I love you too,” she breathes, feeling desperate for more. She guides his hand to her breast and watches the sudden flash of surprise quickly be replaced by his hungry look before he’s kissing her again. His lips are hot and needy against hers, their desperate rhythm matching the motion of his hands. Still, she wants more, so she begins tracing patterns in his skin, lightly raking her nails down his chest and up his back.

He abruptly pulls back, cursing softly, and Katara hums, happy to see that she is affecting him as much as he is affecting her. She repeats the motion, letting her nails scratch just a bit harder, and is rewarded with a groan from Zuko. He meets her gaze, noticing the slightest mischievous twinkle in her eyes, and smirks before bringing his hot mouth down on her nipple. She gasps, arching off the bed and closer to him. He hums in approval as he tweaks her other nipple and the vibration shakes her straight to her core. She clenches her thighs to try and alleviate some of the building pressure but it’s not enough.

“Zuko,” she gasps as he kisses across her chest to latch on to her other nipple, “Zuko, please, I- I need…” she trails off, words failing to describe what she’s feeling.

“Tell me,” he whispers, his hot hands still working her over, “Tell me, Katara.”

She took in a sharp breath, struggling to hold his gaze. “I need you to touch me,” she whispered, pleading and needy. He smiled softly before trailing his fingers down, over the swell of her hips, down to her panties. When his fingers brushed her clit over the lace she keened and arched again. He smirked down at her. “Told you I knew where to find it,” he gloated, and before she could come up with a snappy remark he added more pressure and her vision went white.

She was panting but all she could focus on was the feeling of Zuko, pushing and making circles, but still she needed more. A small whimper escaped her lips, and she didn’t have time to feel embarrassed before Zuko was pulling down her panties and running his fingers across her folds. “Oh fuck, Katara, you’re so wet, I can’t wait…” he trailed off, or maybe she didn’t hear him over the moan that escaped her lips when he pushed a finger inside her. It wasn’t long before he was adding a second finger, and for a moment Katara felt the pressure in her core release a little, temporarily relieved by him pumping in and out of her.

It wasn’t long before she needed _more_ again and she briefly wondered how she would be able to live with this constant need for more. All thoughts were gone as soon as Zuko lowered his mouth to her clit. “OH! Fuuuck,” she moaned and he hummed against her clit, clearly enjoying her reactions. One of her hands fisted in his hair, tugging and gently scraping his scalp. Her other hand clenched the sheets below her, trying and failing to release the growing pressure.

When Zuko pressed down on her sensitive bud with his tongue, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Zuko, please, now, _please,_ ” she begged, pulling him up gently by his hair. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and undid his belt. “Are you sure Kat?” he continued undressing as he asked, “We can stop here, I don’t mind-”

“Don’t you dare think about stopping,” she commanded, though her voice sounded wrecked and desperate rather than stern. He still listened, pulling off his pants and underwear in one motion, and for just a moment she lets herself panic because _damn he’s hung_ but she wants this, wants him more than anything.

She’s surprised when he lays down beside her and pulls her on top to straddle his lap. “I’ve heard, I mean, it should be less painful if you’re on top…” he offers by way of explanation. She’s keyed up and beyond ready for him but her heart clenches just a little at the way he’s so focused on her, on her needs and she leans down to kiss him, roughly but full of passion.

“Help me guide it in?” she whispered when she pulled back, and he nodded, reaching between them to line himself up. She shuddered as the tip brushed over her folds, and he nodded when he was lined up, his other hand moved to her hip to help guide her down.

Slowly, painfully slowly, she lowered herself down on him, and when she bottomed out she choked out a gasp. She’d never felt so full before, so _complete._ Zuko mistook her gasp for pain and reached up to cup her face.

“Are you ok? Should we stop?” he asked sounding slightly panicked, but Katara was already shaking her head. “No, it feels... amazing. I just, just give me a sec, ok?”

He nodded below her, pushing her hair over her shoulder with one hand and tracing circles with the hand that was still on her hip. After a moment of adjusting and just feeling, _Spirits_ she was so full, she flexed her hips, eliciting a groan from Zuko.

“How should I…?” she began, but he was already moving, his hands now firmly on her hips, guiding her up and down and _oh._ If she thought him being inside her was amazing this was pure perfection, the delicious friction of moving up and down and the way he looked up at her like she was a spirit and the way her name tumbled from his lips over and over. He helped her build a steady rhythm and begins matching her down motions by thrusting up into her. It’s a little awkward at first, but Katara’s a quick learner, and sex is no exception.

He has been so careful the entire time, even starting from their first awkward conversation, to be considerate of her feelings and needs first. She recognizes the moment his careful control breaks because it’s the moment he loses control of his mouth, the hottest dirty talk she’s ever imagined spilling out. “Agni, Katara, you’re absolutely perfect, you know that? A fucking dream come true. I can’t imagine what I’ve done to get so lucky,” he pauses to groan as she twists her hips a bit, “you’re so fucking hot, and fuck it feels so good being inside you, you’re so wet and hot and tight and _fuck-_ ” his hips are stuttering, not quite matching her thrust for thrust, both of them are panting, and she can tell he’s close, but she wants to go with him.

“Zuko,” she whines, and his golden eyes lock on hers, dark and full of lust but still loving and he moves his hand between them.

“I’ve got you,” he says, keeping up his filthy praise as he begins pressing on her clit again, “c’mon, Katara, let go, I’ve got you, I want to see you come on top of me, want to feel you, feel you come around my dick-”

She comes, pushed over the edge by all of it, his hands on her clit and his whispers of praise, her core clenching and releasing in waves over him. It’s all she can do to stay up until he finishes as well, a strangled noise that maybe is her name signaling his end as his hips slow to a stop. She finally collapses on his chest and buries her face in his neck, vaguely aware that she might be crushing him, but too satiated to give a damn about anything but cuddling him.

After a few moments he moves one hand to her lower back and the other to run up and down her arm, and she feels herself settling back into herself, their breathing returning to a normal pace. She closed her eyes, basking in the warmth and love radiating from the firebender below her before a thought crossed her mind. Per usual, she couldn’t keep herself from blurting it out and her eyes flew open to meet Zuko’s as she spoke.

“We’re going to do that again, right?!” she winces at the panicky tone of her voice, but scowls when Zuko chuckles below her.

“Ready to go again?” he teased, but she is all serious.

“No, I mean, not yet, but I just- You want to do that again, right?”

He quieted below her, his hand coming up to gently cup her face. “Katara, my love, of course we’ll do that again. Or we won’t if that’s what you want. I’ll do whatever makes you happy.”

She felt tears springing to the corner of her eyes and had to swallow before she could respond. “I’m pretty happy right now,” she whispered.

“Then why are you crying?” he asked, concern etched into his features. She smiled and kissed him, gently.

“Because I love you so damn much and I never thought I’d meet someone who takes care of me like you do,” she explained when she pulled back, feeling a little more in control of her emotions.

“I love you too, Katara.” He smiled before it turned to a smirk. “And here I thought you were crying over my performance.”

“Uhm, no,” she gave him an incredulous look, “I don’t know why you kept talking yourself down because Spirits Zuko that was amazing.”

His eyebrow raised, his tone still teasing. “And what exactly do you have to compare it to?”

She snorted and rolled off him, wincing a little as he is pulled from her center. She quickly cuddled up to his side, letting him wind his arm around her shoulder to pull her close. “I mean, besides my own orgasms? I did binge watch porn for like five hours that one time.”

He laughed a little and kissed her forehead, shifting on his side to pull her close. “Great, I’m better than porn,” he said sarcastically. Katara lightly swatted his chest.

“ _I_ thought it was amazing. And I’m sure I’ll get better the next time.”

“Better?! Katara you were perfect,” Zuko exclaimed. She shook her head.

“I want to…. Touch you next time. Maybe taste you. Like you did me,” she said, suddenly feeling shy again. Zuko groaned in her ear.

“Keep talking like that and ‘next time’ will happen sooner than you think,” he rasped out.

She tilted her head, looking up at him through her eyelashes, and used her best innocent voice. “Promise?”

His head rolled back onto the pillow, groaning as he went down. “Fuck, Kat. Give me like, half an hour.”

She smirked, cuddling up closer to him.

It didn’t take half an hour for him to be ready again.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

They almost missed their brunch reservation. If it weren’t for Katara’s suggestion of shower sex to save time, they would have been late. Though she would never admit she really didn’t want to rush.

They got checked out of the room and made it to the restaurant in the lobby for their reservation just in time. Katara couldn’t stop smiling as they followed the host to their table. She kept reading and rereading the menu, finding she kept getting distracted by memories of last night and this morning. She was ready to tell Zuko they should forget brunch and go home to pick up where they left off when her stomach growled. Zuko peered over the top of his menu at her and they both burst out laughing.

She finally managed to calm down enough to read the menu, but she still felt Zuko’s eyes on her. She looked up, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. “What, do I have something in my teeth?”

He shook his head and reached across the table for her hand. “No, I just can’t get over how lucky I am.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re only saying that because you got laid,” she teased, but she knew exactly how he felt. He huffed in annoyance but still held her stare.

“No, though I’ll never complain about that part. I just am really happy it’s you,” he said, brushing a finger over her soul mark. She felt warmth bloom in her chest.

“Me too. I’m really glad you were my first and-”

She’s cut off by their server coming to take their order. Katara orders too much food but reasons that she needs to replenish her carbs. And she fully intends on burning through them with Zuko again.

After the server takes her menu, Katara looks back over at Zuko to find a frown pulling down the corner of his lips. Katara frowned, not understanding why Zuko suddenly looked sad.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Did I do something or…?” she trailed off, running her hand over his in soothing circles. He let out a heavy sigh, letting his chin drop as he looked in his lap.

“I just… I’m sorry you weren’t my first,” he whispered.

“Hey,” he raised his eyes, “its ok.” He cast his eyes down, clearly in disbelief. “ _Hey_ ,” she said with more force, and he slowly looked back up. “I promise, I got over it a while ago. I don’t want you feeling guilty for something you can’t change.”

Zuko gave her a small smile but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I know but-”

“But nothing, Zuko. I love you, I’m happy with where we are, and I’m debating whether I have enough time to fuck you in the bathroom before our food gets here, so clearly I’m okay with your past.”

He coughed, pink tinging his cheeks but after he took a sip of his water he looked more relaxed.

They sit for a few moments in comfortable silence, each content with their own thoughts, before Zuko speaks up again.

“So, how are you feeling? I mean, I get that you enjoyed it, but you know, it’s supposed to hurt the first time.”

She closed her eyes, letting her healing mind take inventory of her soreness. “I’m a little sore, but not in pain. In fact, I bet I could heal myself after brunch,” she said, letting her eyes drift back to him.

“Well that’s handy,” he offered.

At that moment, their server came by with their food, and Katara immediately dug in, suddenly starving. After a few minutes of stuffing her face, she looked up to see Zuko watching her again.

“Sorry,” she mumbled out, “I’m really hungry. _Someone_ wore me out last night,” she said with a wink. He blushed a little but shook his head.

“No, it’s not that. Before the server came before, when we were talking, it sounded like you were going to say something else.”

“What?”

“About how you were happy I was your first and….”

“Oh.” She swallowed, looking up at him and smiling. “I’m happy you’re my first and only,” she said.

And any doubts she may have had about their future, about the idea that she only wanted to be with Zuko, are washed away when he smiles back at her, his entire face lighting up. He reaches across the table to grab her hand, bringing it to his lips. In that moment, the lust fades and is replaced purely by her love for him.

Katara didn’t know much about sex in practicality, but she’s excited to keep learning with Zuko.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always welcome! Also, come say hi on tumblr @gemgirl28


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